Which railroad would you say had the best maintenance of it's tracks etc?

[Railfan1]

I would have to say Southern had the best MOW.

[Lost World]

C&O was known for its flawless m of w in the late 40's, starting with the line improvements of 1946 which were meant to speed the way of the projected Chessie streamliner.  A few tunnels were daylighted and curvature was decreased in many areas.  One need only look at pictures from the era to see that the tracks were maintained on a near-daily basis, with perfect alignment, a necessity due to the high volume of heavy coal service and the hammer blow that their large modern steam locomotives exerted on the curves. 

[Anonymous]

British Intercity of the late 80's It was no problem at the 100+ mph with some drinks on the table. I recall my coffee cup did not slosh or splash even when opposing trains "boomed" by on the other side just a few feet from the window at closure speeds that defies understanding.

[Bob-Fryml]

The "Crash, Bounce and Quiver" had beautiful track between Chicago and Denver until the first Russian grain deals happened in 1972.  For awhile under the Burlington Northern banner the track got pretty rough, but eventually, despite the frequent and heavy Powder River Basin coal trains, the B.N. got the surface and alignment of this line under control.

During Christmas week 1970 I remember riding westbound along the Santa Fe Railway's "passenger main" between Dodge City, Kans. and La Junta, Colo. and I was clocking the time between mileposts at a pretty fast rate:  36-seconds to the mile pins any speed recorder at the century mark.  The three FP45s were working mighty hard with the Super Chief / El Capitan consist in tow, but at 100-mph with snow whipping around everywhere, the ride was remarkably smooth.

[espeefoamer]

Back in the very early 70s I was given a tour of a Sperry railcar parked at the UP Pico Rivera(CA) station by a crewman,and he told me that UP had the best track.As one who had checked track all over the country he should know who kept up on maintainence and who didn't.

[KCSfan]

The answer to your question depends to a large extent on what time period we're talking about. In the post WWII period and up until at least 1955 the Illinois Central ranked at or very near the top in track maintenance. The City of New Orleans had a scheduled start to stop time over the 100 or so mile portion of its route from Champaign to Effingham, IL, with a brief intermediate stop at Mattoon, that equated to 114 mph which was the fastest schedule of any train in the country. The ride was so smooth that you might have thought you were sitting in your recliner back home except for the blur of the passing scenery. Remember this was on jointed rail so you can imagine the superb condition that the ROW was kept in.

Mark 

[PBenham]

I can remember PRR running west of Columbus,Ohio in the ninety mph range before PC. Two years later the speed was in the forties on the same track due to lack of maintanence. The same thing happened to the old NYC in that area.I have heard all the arguments on where the blame should be placed for PC's failure. The one that was NOT your favorite was the cause. PRR did run faster through this area. I miss them,both of them.

PRR's trackage there was not slowed by lack of maintence. The cab signal system along that part of Lines west was de-activated, so PRR could run "foreign" power there. Then, too they needed to overhaul the cab signal system and this was done east of Conway, but no where else!

[rogruth]

I can remember PRR running west of Columbus,Ohio in the ninety mph range before PC. Two years later the speed was in the forties on the same track due to lack of maintanence. The same thing happened to the old NYC in that area.I have heard all the arguments on where the blame should be placed for PC's failure. The one that was NOT your favorite was the cause. PRR did run faster through this area. I miss them,both of them.

[PBenham]

Here in Central country, the feeling was 180 degrees different! NYC types felt it was PRR that things! The Red team won the "war" and the "green team" won the war of words later, when they did well elsewhere. The biggest example was A.E. Perlman, who saved Western Pacific, and got it set up to be assimilated into the borg , oops! I mean Union Pacific!

[squeeze]

Most of the written articles that I have read about mntce. referenced the Pennsy as the class act. When PC was created, I remember a lot of workers in Altoona Shops complaining of the poor shape of the NYC stock and power. Two great RR's joined and couldn't survive. That says alot about the upper management.

[Poppa_Zit]

Pennsy, when it was the Standard Railroad of the World.

[PBenham]

The railroad with the best track maintence? To me there is no question: Delaware, Lackawanna & Western 1912-1941. This period covers the Truesdale era improvements in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, a period in which DL&W prospered and had one fine looking and riding railroad.

I wish I could say that about the Lehigh Valley in any era, but there we are.

[JanOlov]

I would wote for MKT during Matthew S. Sloan's reign. Anyone that has any more suggestions??